Summary

One rainy morning in 1871 in lower Manhattan, Martin Pemberton, a freelance writer sees in a passing stagecoach several elderly men, one of whom he recognizes as his supposedly dead and buried father. While trying to unravel the mystery, Pemberton disappears, sending McIlvaine, his employer, the editor of an evening paper, in pursuit of the truth behind his freelancer’s fate. Layer by layer, McIlvaine reveals a modern metropolis surging with primordial urges and sins, where the Tweed Ring operates the city for its own profit and a conspicuously self-satisfied nouveau-riche ignores the poverty and squalor that surrounds them.

In E. L. Doctorow’s skilled hands, The Waterworks becomes, in the words of The New York Times, “a dark moral tale . . . an eloquently troubling evocation of our past.”

History, mystery, and Drama

Amazing story with excellent historical underpinnings. Doctorow weaves a tale that combines a mystery with characters who ask the big questions.

Any additional comments?

This book is one of Doctorow's best books and a great joy to listen to . The reader is wonderful and does the story proud. It would be a page turner if we weren't listening to it.Quite terrific and fun and absolutely engaging.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Lora S.

07-08-18

Bizarre story

Newspaper editor McIlvaine tells the story of his freelance writer, Martin Pemberton who one day sees his supposedly dead father riding around in a stagecoach in the company of several other old men. When McIlvaine notices that the younger Pemberton has himself disappeared, he sets out to find him – a thing not easily done in the New York City of the days of the Tweed Ring. McIlvaine seeks help from one of the few honest policemen in the city at the time, and together they uncover the bizarre story of a few wealthy men who wanted to live forever.

Narrator Mark Bramhall does an excellent job with the narration. Very clear and easy to understand.